When I was a teenager, my mother was always asking me to clean up my room. I would spend what felt like hours and hours putting things away, neatening-up bookshelves and hiding things under my bed. But almost always, she would come in to inspect my efforts and ask “what’s that?”. There would always be one thing that I missed. Perhaps it would be a soccer ball peeking out from under the bed or a cricket bat falling out from the cupboard.
The thing that always surprised me, was that I was surprised. I would check and double check – and yet there would always be something that I missed.
When it comes to job seeking, we need to do the equivalent of cleaning up our bedroom. We need to check under the bed for any unwanted surprises. We need to check our photos and our profiles on MySpace. We have to do our due diligence. In short, we need to do what our potential employers will do.
As Seth Godin explains, your profile is only a Google search away. So what does someone find when they Google your name?
on Mar 31st, 2009 at 9:37 am
[...] I believe the first example is more about image and perception. The second is about being two faced and unhappy with your current situation. If you swear in real life, there’s probably just as much chance of someone from work over hearing you in the local after work. If you’re slamming clients and work you probably need to look at the problem and address it. The third is something obviously the company should address. Always remember to clean up your MySpace
[...]
on Jul 13th, 2009 at 6:23 pm
This sentiment is becoming more and more common in NZ